arranged with Graheme to march his company to Dunbar
in three weeks' time, when he would be joined by the other three
companies. Malcolm was delighted with the stir and bustle of his new
life. Accustomed to hard exercise, to climbing and swimming, he was a
strong and well grown lad, and was in appearance fully a year beyond
his age. He felt but little fatigued by the incessant drill in which the
days were passed, though he was glad enough of an evening to lay aside
his armour, of which the officers wore in those days considerably more
than the soldiers, the mounted officers being still clad in full armour,
while those on foot wore back and arm pieces, and often leg pieces, in
addition to the helmet and breastplate. They were armed with swords and
pistols, and carried besides what were called half pikes, or pikes some
7 feet long. They wore feathers in their helmets, and the armour was of
fine quality, and often richly damascened, or inlaid with gold.

Very proud did Malcolm feel as on the appointed day he marched with
the company from Nithsdale, with the sun glittering on their arms and a
drummer beating the march at their head. They arrived in due course
at Dunbar, and were in a few hours joined by the other three companies
under Munro himself. The regiment which was now commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Munro had been raised in 1626 by Sir Donald Mackay of Farre and
Strathnaver, 1500 strong, for the service of the King of Denmark.
Munro was his cousin, and when Sir Donald went home shortly before, he
succeeded to the command of the regiment. They embarked at once on board
a ship which Munro had chartered, and were landed in Denmark and marched
to Flensberg, where the rest of the regiment was lying.

A fortnight was spent in severe drill, and then orders were received
from Oxenstiern, the chancellor of Sweden, to embark the regiment on
board two Swedish vessels, the Lillynichol and the Hound. On board
the former were the companies of Captains Robert Munro, Hector Munro,
Bullion, Nigel Graheme, and Hamilton. Colonel Munro sailed in this
ship, while Major Sennot commanded the wing of the regiment on board the
Hound. The baggage horses and ammunition were in a smaller vessel.

The orders were that they were to land at Wolgast on the southern shore
of the Baltic. Scarcely had they set sail than the weather changed, and
a sudden tempest burst upon them. Higher and higher grew the wind,
and the vessels were separated in the n